Romanian politicians' ability to offer infrastructure contracts to influential companies within the European Union is an advantage in their relation with EU officials, historian Tom Gallagher says in a Financial Times analysis regarding the EU reports on Romania and Bulgaria.
Corruption is still deeply rooted in the two countries and efforts to fight it are blocked at high political levels, Gallagher writes adding that even though Bulgaria will be fined, Romania will be untouched.
In Romania, Gallagher opinionated that the political power is held by a small political and economic group. There is an inter-party oligarchy which is known to escape the law and plans to escape European pressures as well.
Gallagher adds that the last two prime ministers, Social Democrat Adrian Nastase and Liberal Calin Popescu Tariceanu, two rich and urban politicians, launched several action plans for reform which turned out to be PR actions to convince EU officials that change is actually occurring.
The main advantage Romania has over Bulgaria is that Romanian politicians offer important contracts within the country to influential companies at the European level. Thus, Gallagher concludes that Romania will never come to implement values like political responsibility, transparent governance or active citizenship pushed by the Union.
What is more Gallagher observes that former communist, currently successful businessmen are the main beneficiaries of European funds which are meant to develop the region. Romanian politicians' ability to offer infrastructure contracts to influential companies within the European Union is an advantage in their relation with EU officials, historian Tom Gallagher says in a Financial Times analysis regarding the EU reports on Romania and Bulgaria.
Corruption is still deeply rooted in the two
